Predator deterrent vest

ABSTRACT

A predator dissuading vest is provided for pets and other animals. The vest is configured to employ bristles extending from engagements with the vest to distal ends and spikes as a deterrent to an attack by a predator. Conductors for an electric shock can also be included as an additional predator dissuading component.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the protection of animalssuch as dogs and other domesticated animals from predator attacks. Moreparticularly the invention relates to a wearable vest configured for theengagement of any of a plurality of predator deterring components tothereby prevent attacks upon the animal wearing the vest.

2. PRIOR ART

The human population, in industrialized countries, continues to be inneed of new housing for ever larger populations. This expansion ofhousing has caused urban areas as well as small towns, to build homesfurther into previously unpopulated or sparely populated areas. Thisexpansion of the human population into the areas around ever largercities and towns, has caused an unintended consequence. Wild animals whopreviously lived in such unpopulated areas, are finding their living andhunting areas of land, encroached upon by humans and their new homes andhousing tracts.

While many wild animals will avoid humans if at all possible, and willmigrate away from expanding human populations, some wild animals haveadapted to live or hunt in the housing areas within and surroundingcities and small towns. Coyotes and more recently in many states, bearsand mountain lions and the like, have found that domestic animals whichfrequently accompany human homes and housing tracts, are an easy targetfor a meal. Other predatory animals such as raccoons and even wildboars, much like coyotes, have in recent years also sought outdomesticated animals a food source.

Such predatory practices of wild animals surrounding and living withinareas occupied by humans, have caused owners to seek protection fortheir pets and domesticated animals from such predator attacks. Many petand animal owners have sought to keep predators at bay by constructingfences around their property. However, predators such as coyotes andmountain lions can easily traverse a six-foot tall fence or higher, andconsequently the employment of fenced property has not been asignificant success in dissuading attacks.

Additionally, predatory animals, in particular coyotes, have adaptedwell to urban life, and actually live in parks and areas surroundingrivers and lakes within the actual boundary of cities and towns.Further, coyotes living within urban areas as well as areas surroundinghuman populations, have become less afraid of humans, and modernly,found the pets and domesticated animals of the local human population tobe a primary and easily taken food source. Indeed, daily news reports inthe United States tell the story of pets such as dogs and cats beingattacked by coyotes while the pet is being walked by their human owner.Such has resulted in the horrible outcome of a human pet owner visuallywitnessing the demise of their beloved pet companion. Additionally, manypets such as dogs and cats, and domesticated animals such as goats andsheep, go missing and are found, subsequently, to have been attacked byan urban predator such as a coyote or mountain lion or the like.

As such there exists an unmet need for a device which can be employed byhuman owners, to protect the health and welfare of their pets such ascats and dogs, and other domesticated animals which humans keep. Such adevice should be easily engaged upon pets and animals by the owner, andbe sufficiently light weight and comfortably worn so as to allow the petor animal to move naturally. Such a device should dissuade attacks byrendering the pet or animal wearing it, larger, confusing, and hard toengage in the mouth of the predatory animal attempting an attack.Further, such a device should be configurable to not only confuse anattacker, but to render the pet or domestic animal as a non prey animalin the mind of the predator and avoid such attacks entirely.

The forgoing examples of related art in descaling predator attacks andlimitations related therewith, are intended to be illustrative and notexclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the inventiondescribed and claimed herein. Various other limitations of the relatedart are well known or will become apparent to those skilled in the artupon a reading and understanding of this specification and theaccompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to theshortcomings in prior art with regard to the protection of pets anddomestic animals from predators such as wolves, mountain lions, and inparticular due to their propensity to hunt in urban areas, coyotes. Thedevice herein can be formed in a plurality of sequentially larger orsmaller sizes, and configured in such sizes to be adaptable to engageupon a chosen pet or domesticated animal.

A primary component of the device herein, is a vest which is securableupon a pet or domesticated animal using a plurality of adjustable beltswhich may be adjusted in length to hold the vest on the pet or animal,with a portion covering the back and sides of the body of the animal, ina comfortable but secure fashion in an as-used positioning. The vest isconfigured in size to cover the back and sides and in particular theneck of the pet or animal to which it is engaged to this as-usedposition.

So engaged upon a pet or animal, the vest includes a number of fixed oruser-configurable components. These components, in a simpler mode of thedevice, can be permanently engaged. However, in a preferred mode of thedevice allowing adaptation of the configuration, one or a plurality ofdifferent components may be engaged to an exterior surface of the vestto dissuade attacks and to confuse a predator viewing the pet or animalfrom a distance, as to whether the pet or animal is prey, foe, orsomething to be avoided. Such confusion or aversion will have the resultof avoiding an attack all together.

Should a predator such as a coyote attack a pet or animal wearing thevest herein, the vest itself is configurable to protect the wearer fromthe engagement of the mouth of the predator with the body of the petwearing the device. In one preferred mode of the device, the vest hasside panels having bite-resistant material included therein such asballistic nylon or Dacron or other materials employed in bulletresistant vests. At a minimum, the bite-resistant material should beincluded or positioned on the body of the vest such that the teeth of apredatory animal are unable to pierce the vest, and pierce the skin ofthe pet or animal wearing the vest. It has been found in experimentationthat a predator such as a coyote, will attempt to grab a pet or domesticanimal by the neck or on a side surface, by piercing the skin of the petor animal during a bite. Without piercing of the skin by the teeth ofthe predator, it is unable to carry or shake a smaller pet or carry themoff as they slip from the mouth of the predator if the teeth of thepredator have not punctured the pet.

In addition to layered or ballistic resistant fabric positioned on theside panels and/or the neck area of the vest, another mode of the vestcan include spikes projecting from the neck area, sides, or top, of thevest. With the vest in the as-used position engaged with a pet oranimal, these spikes project radially around the neck of the wearer. Anyattempt by a predator to grasp the neck of the vest-wearing animalbetween their jaws, will cause pain and even injury to the predatorduring closure of their mouth. The spikes may also be configured withfasteners configured to engage with the fasteners on the exteriorsurface of the vest. This allows for positioning of spikes on the top orside surfaces also. With the inclusion of radially projecting spikes ofmetal or a polymeric material capable or piercing the mouth of thepredator, on the neck or sides or the vest, any predator attempting tobite the pet or animal wearing the vest will be painfully dissuaded fromsuch.

While as noted above, any or all of the various dissuading componentscan be provided permanently engaged to the vest, in another particularlypreferred mode of the device, removably engageable fasteners arepositioned on the exterior surface of the vest, which are complimentaryand adapted for removable engagement with one or a plurality ofcomponents or attachments to the exterior of the vest. Such fastenerscan be snaps, clips, or any separable-fastener where one half of thefastener is positioned on the exterior surface of the vest in theas-used position, and will cooperatively engage with the other half ofthe fastener positioned on an attachment to the vest. Hook and loopfabric is a particular favored fastener and is available in hook, loop,or combination hook and loop fabric which will engage like fabric or,hook fabric, or loop fabric. Such can be engaged in elongated strips tothe vest thereby allowing for engagement of one or a plurality ofattachments to the vest anywhere along the strip.

In a particularly preferred mode of the device herein, bristles or thinelongated members can be provided preengaged, or are engageable to oneor a plurality of positions upon the exterior of the vest. The bristlespreferably extend between one-half to eighteen inches or more from anengagement end at a connection point to the vest, to a distal end of thebristle extending away from the connection point. The bristleattachments can be engaged in one or a plurality of locations on theexterior surface of the vest, wherever a mating fastener is positionedon the vest which is adapted to engage a bristle attachment.

The bristle attachments are particularly favored as the distal ends ofthe projecting bristles can cause extreme discomfort to a predator inthat contact with the distal ends of the bristles the eyes and mouth ofa predator attempting to bit the pet wearing the vest, will cause thepredator pain in addition to confusion. Such contact being less than apleasant sensation is a means to dissuade a predator attempting to bitethe pet wearing the vest.

The bristles also are configured to elicit an avoidance reaction by thepredator who will be confused by the projecting bristles, and in somecases significantly dissuaded from attaching should the predator havehad previous experience with a porcupine. The bristles can be formed ofstiff material such as polymeric material or plastic or could be formedof metal. They may be engaged to the back, sides, and neck of the vesthaving mating fasteners in such locations to engage the base of abristle attachment.

In another mode of the device herein, an electric shock can be deliveredto any predator who has been able to grasp the pet or animal wearing thevest, within their mouth. This is a particular problem with small dogsand cats where despite the vest preventing puncturing by the teeth ofthe predator of the pet, the predator has grasped the pet, or started tocarry the pet off to a remote location. In this mode, conductive fabricis provided which has fasteners thereon adapted to engage with thefasteners on the exterior of the vest. The two elongated sections ofconductive fabric are each engaged to an electric shock device or stungun device which communicates high voltage to each fabric section at lowamperage. The shock device is connected to a battery power sourceengaged with the device, and in a current preferred mode has a wirelessactivation switch which will activate the device to communicate the highvoltage power to the conducting fabric sections when a remote control isactivated.

Alternatively, the control can also include a proximity communicationbetween the remote control held by the user and the device, which willautomatically arm the shock device to communicate and electric shock toan attacking animal if the dog or animal wearing the device herein, hasstrayed beyond a preset proximity. Such can be accomplished by having acontrol on the device worn by the dog, emit a signal periodically, whichis answered by a signal from the remote control when received. However,if the dog has strayed beyond a proximity where a response is sent to anoutput signal, the control on the device would arm the shock device tocommunicate a shock should an attack occur and a bite connect bothportions of conductive fabric.

Still further, the vest and control for arming the shock device mayemploy software adapted to receive a sound from an onboard microphone,and arm the shocking device, upon sensing a particular sound which maybe pre-programmed. The sound may be a sound emitted by the dog such as asqueal or other sound associated with panic or sensing an attack. Othermodes of arming the shocking component may also be employed howevercurrently the remote control, proximity sensor, and sound sensor arepreferred modes.

Using the conductive material and high voltage stun component, ifactivated by the remote control, any predator having a pet or animal intheir mouth which is in contact with the conductive strips, will receivea debilitating electric shock stunning the predator. Such will allow thepet owner to retrieve their pet while the predator recovers from theordeal.

It should be noted that any of the described attachments above, can beemployed alone, or in combination with any other of the attachments tothe vest. Such will allow the user to configure the vest for their petor animal in a fashion most likely to prevent harm to the pet based onthe locale and the knowledge of the owner as to local predators.

With respect to the above description of the predator dissuading deviceand method herein, before explaining at least one preferred embodimentof the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood thatthe signaling invention is not limited in its application to the detailsof construction and to the arrangement of the components or steps notedin the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Theinvention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseologyand terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying outthe several purposes of the present disclosed device to automaticallyprovide a wearable predatory dissuading vest for animals. It isimportant, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including suchequivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not departfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention.

As used in the claims to describe the various inventive aspects andembodiments, “comprising” means including, but not limited to, whateverfollows the word “comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising”indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but thatother elements are optional and may or may not be present. By“consisting of” is meant including, and limited to, whatever follows thephrase “consisting of”. Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates thatthe listed elements are required or mandatory, and that no otherelements may be present. By “consisting essentially of” is meantincluding any elements listed after the phrase, and limited to otherelements that do not interfere with or contribute to the activity oraction specified in the disclosure for the listed elements. Thus, thephrase “consisting essentially of” indicates that the listed elementsare required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and mayor may not be present depending upon whether or not they affect theactivity or action of the listed elements.

The objects features, and advantages of the present invention, as wellas the advantages thereof over existing prior art, which will becomeapparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by theimprovements described in this specification and hereinafter describedin the following detailed description which fully discloses theinvention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive,examples of embodiments and/or features. It is intended that theembodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be consideredillustrative rather than limiting. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows an overhead or plan view of the exterior surface of thevest of the device herein, and shows the securing straps and shows thefasteners positioned on the exterior surface allowing for userconfiguration of the device.

FIG. 2 depicts the device of FIG. 1, showing spikes engaged to a collarportion and also showing areas of the vest having bite resistanceprovided by multiple fabric layers and/or the inclusion of ballisticresistant fabric.

FIG. 3 depicts the bristles in multiple adjacent sections which areengageable to the vest and which project therefrom once engaged tofasteners on the exterior of the vest.

FIG. 4 depicts a smaller configuration of bristles like those of FIG. 3,but which can be positioned by the user to any position on the vesthaving a cooperative fastener.

FIG. 5 depicts engageable spikes extending from a base which would beengaged with the vest, or configured with mating fasteners to allow forremovable engagement to the vest.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the vest of the device as it would appear onthe side of a pet or animal to which it engages and shows bristlesextending along with spikes.

FIG. 7 depicts the device having the vest with bristles extending fromtop, collar, and side surfaces, and also having spikes projecting from acollar portion.

FIG. 8 shows the device having a vest with spikes engaged upon both thecollar, and light emitters such as LED's engaged to the sides and whichare operatively engaged with a battery to illuminate the sides of thevest.

FIG. 9 shows the vest of the device having spikes engaged to the sidesas well as projecting from the collar, and additionally having bristlesextending from the top or peak and from the collar.

FIG. 10 shows an attachment to the vest of the device configured fordelivering a high voltage shock to a predator in contact with the twoconductive strips which are operatively engaged to a high voltage powergenerating component operable using a remote control.

FIG. 11 shows the conductive strips engaged to one side with theopposite side similarly engaged and both operatively engaged with thehigh voltage generating component, and showing bristles and spikes alsoextending from the best.

FIG. 12 depicts components employable with the vest device herein todeliver a high voltage shock to an attacking predator.

Other aspects of the present invention shall be more readily understoodwhen considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and thefollowing detailed description, neither of which should be consideredlimiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down,downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right andother such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears inthe drawings and are used for convenience only. Such prepositions arenot intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be usedor positioned in any particular orientation.

Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-12, there is seen in FIG. 1 thedevice 10 FIG. 1 shows the overhead or plan view of an exterior surfaceof the vest 12 of the device 10 herein. The vest 12 employs a fasteneradapted to maintain the vest 12 engaged over the back and down the sidesof an animal such as a dog. Currently, such fasteners are provided bysecuring straps 14 having strap fasteners 16 at mating distal ends ofthe straps 14.

The body 13 of the vest 12 configured to the device 10 herein, soconfigured, is adapted to be secured to an as-used position, with thecentral portion substantially covering the back along the spine of ananimal such as a dog, both opposing sides 15 or side portions, coveringthe sides of the body of the animal such as a dog. The vest 12 may beheld in this as-used position, by securing the mating strap fasteners 16on opposing sides of the body 13, to thereby hold the vest 12 in amanner substantially encircling the body of the animal being covered.

The body 13 of the vest 12 is formed of flexible fabric material,preferably a material which breathes such as textile fabric which iswoven or knitted, or non woven. Such breathable allows the device 10 tofit comfortably in the as-used position. Bite-resistant portions 20 ofthe body 12 can be included in the vest 12 and can be formed of multiplelayers of textile fabric forming the body of the vest 12, or may includeballistic or pierce-resistant fabric or material such as ballisticresistant material, such as KEVLAR, or other material which can be sewn,or positioned within a pocket, of the body of the vest 12.

The bite resistant portions 20 can be placed anywhere on the vest 12,however experimentation has shown that panels of pierce resistant fabricpositioned on opposing sides 15 of a central portion 17 of the vestcovering the spine, which are configured to cover the sides of the bodyof the animal when in the as-used position, work well as shown in FIGS.1 and 2.

The body 13 forming the vest 12 preferably includes a collar portion 18at one end, adapted to encircle all or most of the neck of the animalhaving the device 10 positioned thereon in the as-used position. Thecollar portion 18 can also include a bite-resistant portion of similarconstruction to bite resistant portions 20 on the sides 15 of the body.So formed of pierce resistant fabric adapted to prevent the teeth of apredator from piercing the skin of the neck of the dog or animal wearingthe device 10 around which the collar portion 18 wraps.

Such bite-resistant portions 20 can be included in addition to bitedissuading attachments shown engaged upon the collar portion 18, such asthe pointed spikes 22 shown engaged to the collar portion 18 in FIG. 2.The spikes 22 can be permanently engaged to the body 13 of the vest 12as in FIG. 2, or can be removably engaged to the vest 12 using a spike23 strip shown in FIG. 5, and the removably engageable fasteners on anopposite side of a flexible base 24, from the spikes 22 as in FIG. 5.

As noted, the vest 12 can be provided in static form, with spikes 22and/or bristles 26 permanently engaged to one or more of the centralportion 17, side portions 15 and collar portion 18, of the vest 12. Or,the spikes 22 and the bristles 26 and/or other predator dissuadingattachments to the vest 12, can be engaged with a separable fastener 28formed of a first half thereof engaged on the base 24 of the spikes 22and/or a base 24 having bristles 26 engaged, which is configured for aremovable engagement with a second half of the separable fastener 28,attached to an exterior facing surface of the body 13 of the vest 12.

Shown herein for sake of disclosure and understanding, such a separablefastener can be hook and loop fabric, positioned in both the vest 12 andthe base 24, used for attaching dissuading components. However, anyseparable fastener on which half of that fastener may be engaged to thevest 12, and a mating half of the fastener to a base 24 of an attachedpredator dissuading component, can be employed as one skilled in the artwould use, such as clips, snaps, buttons, sewing, zippers, zip ties, orany separable mating fastener as one skilled might find in the GRANGERor another fastener catalog.

The separable mode is preferable in that it allows the user to configurethe vest 12 to include bristles 26, spikes 22, light emitting componentssuch as LED's 30, or other predator dissuading components attached tothe vest 12 as desired, and allows each user to adapt a respective vest12 with such attachments in positions and of a type, to dissuade localpredators to the animal to which they have engaged the vest in theas-used position.

Additionally, it should be noted that while spikes 22, and bristles 26,and light emitters 20, are shown as a group of different attachmentswhich can be removably engaged to the vest 12, other predator dissuadingattachments can be employed and are considered included within theclaims of this invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4, shows that the bristles can be engaged to a base 24 inmultiple adjacent sections, which are engageable to the vest 12directly, or can be engaged using separable fasteners between the vest12 and base 24 thereof. The bristles are preferably formed of flexiblematerial such as a polymeric material such as plastic, nylon, PVC, orsimilar materials which will bend but return to a linear shape. A firstend of the bristles 26 are engaged to either the vest 12 or a base 24engaged to the vest 12, and the bristles extend to a distal which may bebetween one half inch to 18 inches or more in length. The base 24 willbe generally flexible and planar on the attaching side to the vest 12,but on the opposite side engaging bristles 26 the base 24 might haveother shapes adapted to project bristles 26 therefrom in manydirections. For example an arched shape will allow bristles to extendfrom a perceived hump in an arched configuration, or a dome shape of thebase 24 would allow extension of the bristles 26 in many differentdirections away from the vest 12 surface. Further, the bristles 26 canbe colonize to allow decoration of the animal, as well as the use of acolor which might confuse or otherwise dissuade a predator.

As noted, FIG. 5 depicts engageable spikes 22 extending from a base 24which would be engaged with the vest 12 directly or can be removablyengaged using separable fasteners between the vest 12 and base 24. Thespikes 22 may be engaged anywhere on the vest 12 such as the collarportion 18, or areas where half portions of the separable fastener 28are positioned. The same is true of the light emitters 30 or bristles26, and it should be noted the separable fastener 28 can also beanywhere on the vest 12 and not just in the preferred positions shown.

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of the vest 12 of the device 10 as it wouldappear from a position adjacent an animal with the device 10 secured inthe as-used position. As shown, bristles 26 extend from an area whichwill cover the spine of the animal, and the top of the neck, and spikes22 are engaged to the collar portion 18. Such has been found to preventbites by predators along the spine of the animal, or to the neck of theanimal wearing the device.

FIG. 7 shows a mode of the device 10 in a similar view to FIG. 6, andhaving the vest 12 with bristles 26 extending centrally above the spineof an animal with the device in the as-used position, and at the top ofthe collar portion 18 and also extending from side surfaces of the vest12 covering sides of body of the animal wearing it. These bristles 26 asnoted make the animal wearing the vest 12 confusing and appear larger toa predator, and projecting from the top and sides will tend to spear orengage the eyes of a predator trying to bight the body or neck of theanimal wearing the device.

FIG. 8 shows the device 10 configured similar to FIG. 7, but havingspikes engaged upon the top and the collar portion 18 of the body. Alsoincluded are light emitters 30 such as LED's engaged to areas of thevest 12 adapted for positioning on the sides of the body of the animalwearing it. A battery (not shown) and wiring and switches would beincluded and engaged to the base 24 holding the light emitters 30.Emitting light has both the effect of confusing and scaring predators,and allowing the owner of the animal to find it in darkness.

FIG. 9 provides a view of the vest 14 of the device 10 showing thatspikes 22 can be engaged to the sides as well as projecting from thecollar portion 18, to show as noted that configurations are only limitedby the number and type of dissuading attachments available with anattachable base 24, and the positions of the mating separable fasteners28 on the vest 12.

Shown mounted in FIG. 11, FIG. 10 shows an attachment to the vest 12 ofthe device 10 configured with a electric conductor shown as a conductivebase 24 formed of electrically conductive material, and an operativelyconnected to a switch 32 which may be activated to communicate one poleor one half of a high voltage electric power supply, to each of saidconductive base 24 portions. In one mode, the switch 32 can bewirelessly activated by a remote control 36 to connect power from theonboard power supply such as a battery 34.

The conductive base 24 may be engaged to the vest 12 using separablefasteners 28, in positions thereon adapted to engage in the mouth of apredator biting the vest 12 on an animal. As shown, in one preferredmode, a wireless control 36 is employable to activate the combinationswitch 32 and an electric shock generating component 33 to therebydeliver one half of a high voltage electric current circuit, to eachside of the conductive base 24 from an onboard electric power source 34such as a battery or capacitor. The mouth of the predator biting the petor dog over their back, will complete the circuit, and deliver a highvoltage shock from the electric shock generator 33 to the predatorthereby encouraging release.

The high voltage can be generated by a stun gun type electric shockgenerator 33 engaged to or within the housing for the switch 32, ormight be provided by a higher voltage battery 34 or capacitor 34,engaged to the conductive bases 24 through the switch 32.

As noted, FIG. 11 shows the conductive base 24 engaged to one side ofthe worn vest 12, and the second conductive base 24 would be similarlyengaged on the opposite side, close enough to the central portioncovering the spine of an animal, to allow contact with both strips in abite by a predator over the spine and back. The conductive base 24portions may be employed in combination with the attachment of spikes 22or bristles 26 or other attached components, such that even if apredator is not dissuaded by contact with spikes 22 or bristles 26, theywill receive an electric shock. This may entail forming the base 24engaged with spikes 22 or bristles 26 or other dissuading projections,from conductive material.

The conductive base 24 strips as noted, each may be connected by switch32 activation with one pole from an high voltage electric shockgenerator 33 which may be positioned in the housing for the switch 32.Each of the conducting base 24 sections would be connected to one poleor half of the high voltage electric circuit, such that the mouth of apredator contacting both portions of the conductive base 24 willcomplete the circuit and deliver a high voltage shock.

As noted earlier, other means for activating the switch 32 to connectone half of a high voltage circuit, to each of the two conducting base24 portions may be employed. Such may be for example, proximityswitching activated by software running on a computing component 37 orcomputer, operatively engaged to close the switch 32. In this mode theswitch 32 employing a connected transceiver 39 will transmit an RFsignal for receipt by the remote control 36, and a return signal will besent by the remote control 36 which must be received by the transceiver39 and communicated to the computing component 37 operating the switch32. If the pet or dog as strayed to a proximity outside a distance wherethe RF signals travel, subsequent to a sent signal from the transceiver37, which is not answered by the remote control 36, software running onthe computing component 37 adapted to monitor such, will close theswitch 32 and thus arm the conductive base 24 components. If the pet ordog locates to a position sufficiently proximate to the remote control36 to receive an answer to a sent signal subsequently, the computingcomponent 37 will open the switch 32 and disarm the conductive basecomponents 24. Such will protect the pet or animal wearing the vestshould they panic or just run away from their owner.

Finally, as also noted earlier, other means to automatically activatethe switch 32 to connect the conductive base 24 components to theelectric shock generator 33 can be employed, which will automaticallyprotect a pet or animal wearing the vest should the owner or caretakernot be proximate. Such for example may be a microphone 41 connected tothe computing component or microprocessor operatively engaged to openand close the switch 32. Should the microphone 41 communicate anelectronic signal representative of a preprogrammed sound designated insoftware running on the computing component 37, that elicits a responseto activate the switch 32, software running on the computing component37 will signal the switch 32 to close thereby connect the conductivebase 24 portions, to the energized electric shock generator 33. Such asound for example could be a growling noise, or could be a recordedsound of panic or stress the pet or animal wearing the device makes whenfaced with a predator.

While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of thepredator dissuading vest for pets and animals have been shown anddescribed herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, alatitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intendedin the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in someinstances, some features of the invention may be employed without acorresponding use of other features without departing from the scope ofthe invention as set forth. It should also be understood that varioussubstitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations andsubstitutions are included within the scope of the invention as definedby the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A predator dissuading vest, comprising: a vesthaving a central portion extending between a first end and second end,and having side portions on opposing sides of said central portion; saidvest configured for positioning on a body of animal to an as-usedposition, with said central portion adjacent the spine of said animaland said side portions adjacent sides of said body of said animal;bristles having a first end extending from an engagement with said vest,to distal ends, said bristles extending at least from positions on saidcentral portion of said vest; a collar portion extending from said firstend of said first end of said vest; said collar portion configured toencircle a neck of said animal with said vest in said as-used position;spikes extending to distal ends from a first end in an engagement withsaid vest; and whereby a said animal having said vest in said as-usedposition upon said body of said animal, has said bristles extending fromsaid central portion of said vest as a means to dissuade predators fromattacking said animal.
 2. The predator dissuading vest of claim 1wherein said bristles additionally extend from positions upon saidcollar portion.
 3. The predator dissuading vest of claim 1 additionallycomprising: separable fasteners forming said engagement of said firstend of said bristles to said vest.
 4. The predator dissuading vest ofclaim 1 additionally comprising: light emitters engaged to said vest. 5.A predator dissuading vest, comprising: a vest having a central portionextending between a first end and second end, and having side portionson opposing sides of said central portion; said vest configured forpositioning on a body of animal to an as-used position, with saidcentral portion adjacent the spine of said animal and said side portionsadjacent sides of said body of said animal; bristles having a first endextending from an engagement with said vest, to distal ends, saidbristles extending at least from positions on said central portion ofsaid vest; and whereby a said animal having said vest in said as-usedposition upon said body of said animal, has said bristles extending fromsaid central portion of said vest as a means to dissuade predators fromattacking said animal; a collar portion extending from said first end ofsaid first end of said vest; said collar portion configured to encirclea neck of said animal with said vest in said as-used position; bristlesadditionally extend from positions upon said collar portion; andseparable fasteners forming said engagements of both said first end ofsaid bristles to said vest and said first end of said spikes to saidvest.
 6. The predator dissuading vest of claim 5 additionallycomprising: a first electrical conductor in an engagement to a first ofsaid side portions of said vest; a second electrical conductor in anengagement to a second of said side portions of said vest; and each ofsaid first electrical conductor and said second electrical conductorengaged with a pole of a electric power supply, whereby a said predatorbiting said vest and contacting both said first electrical conductor andsecond electrical conductor will receive an electric shock.
 7. Thepredator dissuading vest of claim 5 additionally comprising: saidseparable fasteners forming said engagement of said first electricalconductor to said first of said side portions of said vest, and formingsaid engagement of said second electrical conductor to said second ofsaid side portions of said vest.
 8. The predator dissuading vest ofclaim 7 additionally comprising: said bristles have a length from saidfirst end to said distal end between one-half inches and eighteeninches.
 9. The predator dissuading vest of claim 7 additionallycomprising: light emitters engaged to said vest.
 10. The predatordissuading vest of claim 5 additionally comprising: light emittersengaged to said vest.
 11. A predator dissuading vest, comprising: a vesthaving a central portion extending between a first end and second end,and having side portions on opposing sides of said central portion; saidvest configured for positioning on a body of animal to an as-usedposition, with said central portion adjacent the spine of said animaland said side portions adjacent sides of said body of said animal;bristles having a first end extending from an engagement with said vest,to distal ends, said bristles extending at least from positions on saidcentral portion of said vest; a first electrical conductor in anengagement to a first of said side portions of said vest; a secondelectrical conductor in an engagement to a second of said side portionsof said vest, each of said first electrical conductor and said secondelectrical conductor engaged with a pole of a electric power supply,whereby a said predator biting said vest and contacting both said firstelectrical conductor and second electrical conductor will receive anelectric shock; and whereby a said animal having said vest in saidas-used position upon said body of said animal, has said bristlesextending from said central portion of said vest as a means to dissuadepredators from attacking said animal.
 12. A predator dissuading vest,comprising: a vest having a central portion extending between a firstend and second end, and having side portions on opposing sides of saidcentral portion; said vest configured for positioning on a body ofanimal to an as-used position, with said central portion adjacent thespine of said animal and said side portions adjacent sides of said bodyof said animal; bristles having a first end extending from an engagementwith said vest, to distal ends, said bristles extending at least frompositions on said central portion of said vest; said bristles have alength from said first end to said distal end between one-half inchesand eighteen inches; and whereby a said animal having said vest in saidas-used position upon said body of said animal, has said bristlesextending from said central portion of said vest as a means to dissuadepredators from attacking said animal.